The General Secretary is elected by and responsible to the Party’s Executive Committee which is elected by the All-Britain Congress, the supreme democratic body of the Communist Party.
The General Secretary is responsible for giving political and organisational leadership to the Executive and Political Committees and the Party as a whole, and also acts as a leading public representative and spokesperson for the Party, representing the Party in the media and at domestic and international events.
In the past, many famous and distinguished comrades have held the post of General Secretary of our Party including legendary leader Harry Pollitt, whose name and legacy is carried forward in the YCL’s annual Harry Pollitt School.
Alex Gordon
Our current General Secretary is Comrade Alex Gordon, elected in January 2026, replacing Comrade Robert Griffiths who served as the Party’s General Secretary from 1998.
Prior to becoming General Secretary of the Party, Alex Gordon worked as a train driver and trade union official and has extensive experience of leading workers in strike action and industrial struggle. Alex has also extensive experience and is a respected figure in the peace and anti-austerity movements and in Marxist Leninist education.
Alex Gordon has been a life long fighter for peace and socialism and is set to lead our Party into an exciting new period of growth and strengthening.
For more information about how to contact the General Secretary, access the Members Area.